Postgraduate Certificate in Approved Mental Health Professional Practice

 

The University of Manchester
School of Health Sciences
Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work Division

 

Programme Information
2023/24 Academic Year

Version: August 2023

CONTACT INFORMATION

Academic Staff

Anna Beddow
Programme Director
Tel: 0161 2757767
Email: anna.beddow@manchester.ac.uk

Mark Cooper
Lecturer
Tel: 0161 2753931
Email: mark.cooper-2@manchester.ac.uk

Andrew Holt
Lecturer
Tel: 0161 2753939
Email: andrew.holt@manchester.ac.uk

Administrator

Vicki Sargeant
SHS Teaching, Learning and Student Experience Administrator (Programmes and Curriculum)
Email: shs.programmes@manchester.ac.uk

For Topic Specific Enquiries Contact:
• shs.assessments@manchester.ac.uk for examination and assessment queries.
• shs.attendance@manchester.ac.uk for attendance queries.
• shs.mitcircs@manchester.ac.uk for mitigating circumstances and extension queries.
• shs.dc@manchester.ac.uk for disability support.
• shs.programmes@manchester.ac.uk for programme related queries.
• shs.wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk for wellbeing student support.
• shs.hub@mancheser.ac.uk for the student support hub for general queries and advice not covered by the above teams.

Information, Advice & Guidance Team

The Information, Advice & Guidance (IAG) team are your first point of contact for any non-academic queries you may have relating to your studies, such as what support is available to you, how to access it, and where to direct any queries which you’re not sure about. The IAG team can be contacted via email at shs.hub@manchester.ac.uk, over the phone at 0161 306 7811, or in person at the student hub which is located on the ground floor of the Jean McFarlane building.

INTRODUCTION

Welcome from the Director of Postgraduate Taught Education

I am delighted to welcome you to the School of Health Sciences and the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health. We are extremely pleased you have chosen the University of Manchester to commence or continue your postgraduate study journey; whether you are progressing straight from your undergraduate studies, seeking to develop your knowledge/skills in your chosen career or, are bravely, taking a completely different direction in life. In the pursuit of knowledge, wisdom and humanity, we will place you at the centre of a transformational learning process to support you to achieve your individual goals and aspirations. Our challenge to you is to embrace all of the opportunities available to you; be bold, think differently and realise your potential. We want your postgraduate journey with us to be intellectually stretching, rewarding and fun. We are aware that most of you will need to juggle a number of competing priorities during your postgraduate taught studies. Some of you will already be in full time employment, while others will need to secure part time employment to fund your studies. We know that many of you will have family and caring responsibilities that will have to be prioritised before your own learning. We hope the information detailed in this programme handbook will help you in managing these competing commitments. Whether you are joining us on campus, or studying at a distance, you are an integral part of our School and University, and we are here to support you. We are extremely proud of our postgraduate student community and alumni who are making a difference, both locally and globally. We look forward to working with you, confident that you too will play a role in transforming the lives of people who use health and social care services, whether during your studies or upon graduation. I wish you every success in your postgraduate studies here at the University of Manchester.

Mr Andrew Mawdsley

Director of Post Graduate Taught Education School of Health Sciences

The University’s Vision for the Future:

We will be recognised globally for the excellence of our people, research, learning and innovation, and for the benefits we bring to society and the environment.

The foundation of this vision and strategic plan remains our three core goals of research and discovery, teaching and learning, and social responsibility, which are encapsulated in our motto: knowledge, wisdom and humanity. It builds on our strengths while taking the University in new directions.

Division of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work

The Division of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work is recognised for delivering world-class teaching and research across nursing, midwifery, social work and related disciplines. We currently provide undergraduate and postgraduate education to more than 2,000 students in close partnership with the NHS and are ranked as the 7th best university in the world at which to study nursing (QS World University Rankings 2023).

Our research excellence was recognised by the results of REF 2021 and is underpinned by the production of collaborative, high-quality and impactful research which aims to improve health and social care at local, national and international levels.

PROGRAMME OVERVIEW

Welcome to the Postgraduate Certificate in Approved Mental Health Professional Practice, we hope that you very much enjoy the time on the programme and we are here to support you in any way that we can.

Postgraduate Certificate in Approved Mental Health Professional Practice

The Postgraduate Certificate in Approved Mental Health Professional Practice comprises of 4, 15 credit compulsory units, a practice placement and a portfolio. The portfolio is the evidence of competence. It is marked as a pass or fail and is zero credit rated. In order to pass the Practice portfolio, students must meet all the requirements and competencies outlined in the Practice Learning Handbook and be deemed competent by their Practice Educator. Once all 4 course units, and the practice portfolio have been passed the student then will be awarded the Postgraduate Certificate in Approved Mental Health Professional Practice.

The Postgraduate Certificate in Approved Mental Health Professional Practice is approved by Social Work England. This is the  qualification which enables you to be eligible to be approved by a local authority as an AMHP.

Overall Understanding of the Programme

To become an effective Approved Mental Health Professional it is necessary to have a high level of knowledge and understanding about mental health problems. It is also necessary to be knowledgeable about the kinds of treatments that are available, how these are delivered to service users, and what their effects and outcomes are likely to be. It is essential that you are able to make complex decisions that are legally literate and place human rights at the centre of your practice. It is essential that you are able to identify and challenge discrimination in the course of carrying out your role as an AMHP.

The Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) is the final decision maker in a process that can ultimately lead to the detention of a person in hospital and for that person to be given treatment for against their wishes. International convention and legal precedent demand that such far-reaching powers should be counter-balanced by appropriate legal safeguards to ensure the individual’s human rights are respected.

In deciding whether to make an application for detention, the AMHP has to balance a person’s autonomy and rights to freedom from interference by the state against the identified risks arising from their current condition.

The teaching on the Certificate is devoted to these vitally important issues, and is backed up by supervised practice within the employing agencies. The Approved Mental Health Professional must be able to work well with professionals from other disciplines, and our programme is committed to promoting the highest standards of multi-disciplinary practice. The multi-disciplinary approach permeates all our teaching and is an explicit feature of each of the programme’s teaching units.

Degree Regulations

Introductory Courses

All students are automatically enrolled onto an introductory unit that provides information on health and safety, academic malpractice and academic literacy. Completion instructions for each of these sections are clearly defined within the course. Completion of the academic malpractice and health and safety sections is mandatory for all students. All assessments must be completed as soon as possible after the programme begins, with the academic malpractice assessment completed before the first piece of coursework is submitted. Completion of these assessments is monitored by the School. All students are also strongly advised to complete the academic literacy section

Postgraduate Taught Degree Regulations for Students

Postgraduate Taught degrees at the University of Manchester are based on the National Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ). This framework requires students to achieve credit at masters’ level in order to get an award. For a standard postgraduate taught Masters programme this will normally mean passing 180 credits. A standard postgraduate diploma will normally have 120 credits and a postgraduate certificate 60 credits. The way in which you study these credits will be defined later in the programme handbook and the programme specification.

The University sets standards relating to your performance on every unit but also on your progression through the programme. The programme and course unit specifications will set out the requirements for passing the credit on individual units.

Postgraduate Taught Degree Regulations

Please find below the link to the degree regulations:

Regulations | Academic-related regulations | Postgraduate Degree Regulations | The University of Manchester

The following guidance should be read in conjunction with the regulations policy document.

Criteria for Awards

Award Postgraduate Certificate

To obtain a Postgraduate Certificate in Approved Mental Health Professional Practice the student must have accrued 60 Credits.

As specified in the exemptions, the awards of Postgraduate Certificate degrees are based upon credit accumulation using a pass mark of 50% for which there is no classification other than pass/fail.

Exit Awards

Exit awards are available for students who do not satisfy the criteria for the programme they are registered on or who need to exit the programme early due to unforeseen circumstances.

• If the Student successfully completes all of the 4 units (accruing 60 Credits), but not the Practice Portfolio, the student can exit with a Postgraduate Certificate in Critical Approaches to Mental Health Theory. This certificate does not enable you to be approved as an AMHP.
• To be considered for a PG Certificate Approved Mental Health Professional Practice (60 credits; exit) students must have accrued 60 credits across the programme and pass the Practice Portfolio.

Please note the pass mark for course units making up the Postgraduate Certificate exit awards is 50%.

Compensation

Compensated credit is not permitted on the Postgraduate Certificate (Approved Mental Health Professional Practice and Critical Approaches to Mental Health Theory). This means that you have to pass all of the taught units. The pass mark is 50%, except for the practice portfolio where it is pass or fail.

Reassessment

Where the overall unit mark is below the pass mark (50%) reassessment may be taken.

Reassessment as a result of a fail is known as a “Referral”. Reassessment as a result of approved and verified mitigating circumstances is known as “Deferral” and may be permitted where students are reassessed as a first attempt, for which no penalty applies.

Students may be referred in up to half of the total taught credits. The combined total number of credits referred cannot exceed half the taught credits. Decisions with regard to which components should be reassessed are made by the Examination Board. When a student is referred they will normally be permitted to retake the assessment/exam on one further occasion.

The pass mark for a reassessment is the same as the first attempt (i.e. 50% across all levels). When a reassessment is passed, the mark is capped at the lowest pass mark (i.e. 50R). This mark is used in the weighted average/total mark for the final award. The capped mark is applied to the whole unit and not the failed component.

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

The Units

More details on each module, can be found on our website:

• Critical Decision Making
• Applied Psychiatry
• Role of the AMHP
• Applied Mental Health Law

The delivery of the teaching is currently predominantly face to face, on campus.

Practice Learning for the Postgraduate Certificate in Approved Mental Health Professional Practice

See The Practice Learning Handbook for details.

STUDENT PROGRESS AND ASSESSMENT

Personal Details

It is important that the Students ensure that the Programme is provided with up-to-date home and work addresses. It is also the responsibility of the Student to notify other relevant University offices of any change of address.

Monitoring Attendance and Wellbeing of Students

The teaching day is 9.30am – 4.30pm with breaks throughout.

You are required to attend all of the taught element of the course and to actively engage with your academic advisor, unless alternative arrangements or flexibility in attendance has been agreed for individual students, if unavoidable circumstances such as illness prevents you from attending or if absence has been authorised. This includes both on-campus teaching as well as online/blended, distance or remote learning modes of delivery.

If you are unable to attend a teaching session you should inform the lecturer/instructor in the first instance to catch up on missed learning and for support with teaching materials. For absences of 1-2 days, you do not need to tell the Student Support and Wellbeing Team.

If you expect to miss one or more full weeks of teaching, you must notify the Student Support and Wellbeing team on shs.attendance@manchester.ac.uk, as well as your Academic Advisor. Please provide a reason for this to help the team provide appropriate guidance and signposting as required. 

Students who have a less than 80% attendance for their lectures (i.e. they have missed more than 1 day) can be refused the opportunity to complete the assessment.

If you are encountering issues or difficulties the sooner that we know the sooner we can address them. Please get in touch with your academic advisor or with Anna Beddow the programme director and we will work together to find a solution.

Attendance at all placement days is mandatory. Any days not attended must be replaced to achieve the threshold of fifty days. If the student is absent from placement this must be reported to both the academic advisor and the placement. This will be checked at mid placement stage.

If your attendance is deemed to be too low, someone from the Student Support and Wellbeing team will be in touch to check in with you and make sure that you are ok. If the poor attendance continues without a valid reason, your Academic Advisor will be informed. If there is still no improvement in your attendance, you will be asked to a meeting with your Programme Director. This is in line with the university policy on monitoring attendance.

Tier 4 Visa Students

As a part of your visa requirement, your attendance needs to be monitored with regular in-person check ins on campus. You will need to attend the SHS Hub (Ground Floor, Jean McFarland building) twice a week on your assigned days to scan your student ID card. 

 

The programme director and teaching staff will monitor the work and attendance of students on the programme. This is for your benefit and helps to ensure you are coping with the work. Regular or a pattern of non-attendance and/or engagement will result in you being contacted by the School to meet with your programme director. All absence from the programme is reported to your agencies as matter of course.

For further information see:

Regulation XX Monitoring Attendance and Wellbeing of Students

The University offers a range of advice and support to students experiencing problems with attendance. Further information can be found below:

http://www.studentsupport.manchester.ac.uk/taking-care/

Sharing Information

The University may share appropriate information relating to your health and/or conduct with external organisations such as your professional employer(s). This may occur where concerns in relation to your health and/or conduct arise and the University considers it necessary for them to be disclosed to one or more of the above organisations. The University’s Privacy Notice for Registered Students (which is accessible via this link: www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/data-collection-notice/) includes further information about how the University may use and process your personal data, including the legal basis and conditions which may be relevant to such processing (see section 6 of the Privacy Notice). The University will only disclose special category data (such as data relating to your health) to a third party organisation where one of the additional conditions are satisfied (see section 9 of the Privacy Notice), including where processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest.

Student Charter

One of the University’s three core goals is “To provide a superb higher education and learning experience to outstanding students, irrespective of their backgrounds, and to produce graduates distinguished by their intellectual capabilities, employability, leadership qualities, and their ability and ambition to contribute to society” (from the University of Manchester Strategic Vision 2020).

http://www.studentnet.manchester.ac.uk/enhancing-my-experience/charter/

Management of Assessments

Assessed work will be marked anonymously therefore don’t forget to include your student number within your assignment and within the uploading title. See appendix 2 for additional information regarding the grading structure.

Policy on submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes
http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=24561

Policy on Feedback to Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught Students
http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=6518

Only ONE document can be uploaded for submission therefore students MUST ensure they submit the correct one, as substitutes will NOT be allowed.

For any student who has cited throughout their summative assessment submission but failed to provide a reference list, the assessment will be marked, following which a 10% reduction will be applied by the marker. A comment will be provided by the marker, in the feedback, noting the lack of a reference list.

Late Submission Penalty 

Work submitted after the deadline without prior approval will be subject to a late penalty in accordance with the University Policy on Submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes.  The penalty applied is 10% of available marks deducted per day/24 hours (from the time of the original or extended deadline), until the assignment is submitted or no marks remain.

Penalties for late submission relate to 24 hours/calendar days, so include weekends and weekdays, as well as bank holidays and University closure days.

The mark awarded for the piece of work will be reduced by:
10% of the available marks deducted if up to 24 hours (1 day) late
20% of the available marks deducted if up to 48 hours (2 days) late
30% of the available marks deducted if up to 72 hours (3 days) late
40% of the available marks deducted if up to 96 hours (4 days) late
50% of the available marks deducted if up to 120 hours (5 days) late
60% of the available marks deducted if up to 144 hours (6 days) late
70% of the available marks deducted if up to 168 hours (7 days) late
80% of the available marks deducted if up to 192 hours (8 days) late
90% of the available marks deducted if up to 216 hours (9 days) late
100% of the available marks deducted if up to 240 hours (10 days) late

If the assessment is submitted within 10 days of the deadline the assessment should be marked and feedback to the student provided. If this mark before the penalty is applied reaches the appropriate pass mark but the applied penalty results in a fail of the assessment, the student should not be required to resit the assessment as the original mark can be taken as the resit mark. Further information and examples can be found in the Policy and associated Guidance documents.

For work submitted more than 10 days late, it is regarded as a non-submission and need not be marked. In this case a mark of zero will be awarded and normal resit regulations will apply.

The sliding scale should only be applied to first-sit submissions. For all referred (resit) assessment, any late submission will automatically receive a mark of zero. For further information: Guidance on Late Submission

Policy on the Submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes

Extensions

If you experience difficulties that will prevent you from submitting assessed coursework on time, you can request an extension of up to one week. You need to provide a credible reason for your extension, in line with the extension policy, but you do not need to submit evidence to support your request.  

Please think carefully about whether one-week is enough time to submit and how this will impact the rest of your workload before requesting an extension. 

To apply for an extension, you will need to complete this form:  

https://www.qualtrics.manchester.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_56LcBQhsaZ6Agsu  

Extensions should be applied for by 15:00pm on the day of your original assessment submission date. Any applications after this time will not be considered and you will need to apply for mitigating circumstances.  

If mitigating circumstances prevent you from submitting an extension request in advance, or mean that you miss the extended deadline that has been awarded, you should submit mitigating circumstances following the procedures outlined in the mitigating circumstances procedure. Please note, such requests for mitigation will only be considered where students provide a clear justification (including evidence) for failing to follow the normal extension request procedure. 

Some DASS students are entitled to an automatic one-week extension, which does not need to be applied for. If you are a DASS student with this automatic extension and require longer than one-week, please complete the form above by 15:00pm on the day of your DASS submission date. 

Pre-recorded Presentation Assessments

It is acceptable, without penalty, for you to submit an assignment via pre-recorded presentation within a range that is plus 10% of the set time limit.

If you present an assignment via pre-recorded presentation with a time  exceeding the specified time  limit+10%, the assignment will be marked but 1% will be deducted from this mark for every minute over the limit.

Examinations

Where applicable, examinations are held at the end of each module.

Policy on Examinations:

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=26153

Examinations: Guidance for Students:

Exams | Guidance and regulations | The University of Manchester

Academic Malpractice

Avoiding Academic Malpractice

As a student, you are expected to cooperate in the learning process throughout your programme of study by completing assignments of various kinds that are the product of your own study or research. For most students this does not present a problem, but occasionally, whether unwittingly or otherwise, a student may commit what is known as plagiarism or some other form of academic malpractice when carrying out an assignment. This may come about because students have been used to different conventions in their prior educational experience or through general ignorance of what is expected of them.

This guidance is designed to help you understand what we regard as academic malpractice and hence to help you to avoid committing it. You should read it carefully, because academic malpractice is regarded as a serious offence and students found to have committed it will be penalised.

Academic malpractice is any activity – intentional or otherwise – that is likely to undermine the integrity essential to scholarship and research. Academic malpractice includes plagiarism, collusion, fabrication or falsification of results and anything else intended by those committing it to achieve credit that they do not properly deserve. In addition to the advice that follows, your Division will give you advice on how to avoid academic malpractice in the context of your discipline. It will also design assessments so as to help you avoid the temptation to commit academic malpractice. Finally, you should take note that work you submit may be screened electronically to check against other material on the web and in other submitted work.

Information on Academic Malpractice and how to avoid it can be found: click here

The University Library has produced online resources to help students in avoiding plagiarism and academic malpractice: click here 

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is presenting the ideas, work or words of other people without proper, clear and unambiguous acknowledgement. It also includes self-plagiarism (which occurs where, for example, you submit work that you have presented for assessment on a previous occasion), and the submission of material from essay banks (even if the authors of such material appear to be giving you permission to use it in this way). Obviously, the most blatant example of plagiarism would be to copy another student’s work. Hence it is essential to make clear in your assignments the distinction between:

• the ideas and work of other people that you may have quite legitimately exploited and developed, and
• the ideas or material that you have personally contributed.

To assist you, here is the library’s e–learning essentials guide.

Collusion

Collusion occurs when a student or students collaborate with another student or students, as an individual or group to gain a mark or grade to which they are not entitled. Students who allow another student to copy their work or who make their work available to another student are also committing collusion and both the copier and the provider of the work are liable to be penalised.

Fabrication / Falsification

Fabrication or falsification of data or results by individual students or groups of students is the presentation or inclusion in a piece of work of figures or data which have been made up or altered and which have no basis in verifiable sources; this may or may not involve other instances of academic malpractice.

If you commit any form of academic malpractice, teaching staff will not be able to assess your individual abilities objectively or accurately. Any short-term gain you might have hoped to achieve will be cancelled out by the loss of proper feedback you might have received, and in the long run such behaviour is likely to damage your overall intellectual development, to say nothing of your self-esteem. You are the one who loses.

TurnitinUK

The University uses electronic systems for the purposes of detecting plagiarism and other forms of academic malpractice and for marking.  Such systems include TurnitinUK, the plagiarism detection service used by the University.

As part of the formative and/or summative assessment process, you may be asked to submit electronic versions of your work to TurnitinUK and/or other electronic systems used by the University (this requirement may be in addition to a requirement to submit a paper copy of your work).  If you are asked to do this, you must do so within the required timescales.

The School also reserves the right to submit work handed in by you for formative or summative assessment to TurnitinUK and/or other electronic systems used by the University.

Please note that when work is submitted to the relevant electronic systems, it may be copied and then stored in a database to allow appropriate checks to be made.

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

We urge students to be cautious when using a chatbot or AI tool within their learning. Chatbots and AI tools can be useful, but there are a number of risks associated with using them. Please ensure that you are aware of what is permissible use of AI for each assignment. You can utilise AI to generate ideas, key themes, and plan your assessment but not to write your assessment. Do not use AI to generate text, or partial text for use in your assessment unless the assignment brief explicitly states that this is permitted, otherwise use will be deemed academic malpractice. This is academic malpractice because the words and ideas generated are not your own and not an accurate reflection of your learning. Further to this, the words and ideas generated by the chatbot or AI tool may make use of other, human authors’ ideas without referencing them, which is plagiarism. Where a chatbot or other form of AI has been used, make sure you acknowledge that use. Information on how to cite can be found here: https://manchester-uk.libanswers.com/teaching-and-learning/faq/264824 Some units, for example those on AI and technology, permit the use of AI. However, they require you to sign a code of conduct which must be adhered to. Make sure you understand and follow these codes. If you are unclear on what is permissible, speak to the unit lead.

Referencing – The Harvard System

Accurate referencing of all written work is essential as it enables readers to (i) assess the accuracy of the writer’s interpretation of source material; (ii) check the writer’s integrity; and (iii) easily seek out material that may be of interest to their own studies.  All assignments completed for this programme of study are required to have a reference list.

Though there are many referencing/bibliographical systems around, the Harvard system is the system adopted by many of the prestigious social work and social science journals.  More importantly, it is the system, which the Division of Nursing, Midwifery & Social Work has adopted.

This means that it is the only system, which is acceptable for any work submitted by students within the Division.  Please see the Library’s Referencing Guide.

Assignment Word Count (Including Dissertation)

In accordance with the University Policy on Marking:

Each written assignment has a word limit which you must state at the top of your first page. It is acceptable, without penalty, for you to submit an assignment within a range that is plus 10% of this limit. If you present an assignment with a word count exceeding the specified limit+10%, the assignment will be marked but 1% will be deducted from this mark for every 100 words over the limit given. For an original word limit that is 1000 words and an assignment that is marked out of 100.  If a submission is made that is 1101 words, then it exceeded the 10% leeway, and is more than 100 words over the original limit and should receive a 1-mark deduction.  In accordance with accepted academic practice, when submitting any written assignment for summative assessment, the notion of a word count includes the following without exception:

• All titles or headings that form part of the actual text. This does not include the fly page or reference list
• All words that form the actual essay
• All words forming the titles for figures, tables and boxes, are included but this does not include boxes or tables or figures themselves
• All in-text (that is bracketed) references
• All directly quoted material

Certain assessments may require different penalties for word limits to be applied. For example, if part of the requirement for the assessment is conciseness of presentation of facts and arguments. In such cases it may be that no 10% leeway is allowed, and penalties applied may be stricter than described above. In such cases the rules for word count limits and the penalties to be applied will be clearly stated in the assessment brief and in the submission details for that assessment.

You are responsible for ensuring that you understand what academic malpractice is, and how to avoid committing it. If you are unsure, ask your lecturer or academic adviser.

Academic Malpractice: Procedure for Handling Cases can be found at:
http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=639

Other Information on Academic Malpractice and how to avoid it can be found at www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/academic

Mitigating Circumstances

Sometimes, factors beyond your control may interfere with your ability to attend to your academic studies. The University’s mitigating circumstances procedures exist to try to mitigate against the impact that this could have on your grades. 

The full mitigating circumstances policy can be accessed via the following link: https://www.studentsupport.manchester.ac.uk/study-support/mitigating-circumstances/.

We strongly recommend that you seek advice from a member of the Wellbeing team before submitting any claim for mitigating circumstances. You can contact them via shs.mitcircs@manchester.ac.uk or shs.wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk 

Grounds for mitigation 

Grounds for mitigation are unforeseeable or unpreventable circumstances that could have, or did have, a significant adverse effect on your academic performance. 

Possible mitigating circumstances include: 

• significant illness or injury 
• the death or critical/significant illness of a close family member/dependant 
• significant family crises or major financial problems leading to acute stress 

• absence for public service e.g., jury service 

Circumstances that will not normally be regarded as grounds for mitigation include: 

• holidays, moving house and events that were planned or could reasonably have been expected 
• assessments that are scheduled close together 

• misreading the timetable or misunderstanding the requirements for assessments 
• inadequate planning and time management 
• consequences of paid employment 
• exam stress or panic attacks not diagnosed as illness or supported by medical evidence 
• disruption in an examination room during the course of an assessment which has not been recorded by the invigilators 

Applying for mitigation 

You should inform us if you experience difficulties that may negatively affect your performance on assessed work. You can inform us of such difficulties by submitting an online Mitigating Circumstances Form. The form must be completed by you. It will ask you to provide details of your difficult circumstances and to list the assessments affected. It is important that you list each separate assessment, giving details of the course unit and the nature of the assessment (e.g. PSYC10711 Essay or PSYC10100 Week 4 Quiz). Your form should also be supported with evidence, which is independent and time-specific (for example, a doctor’s note which confirms that you were ill and indicates the period affected). Our Student Support and Wellbeing team can advise you on the information required on the form. 

You should inform us of mitigating circumstances as soon as you become aware that they might affect your performance. Typically, mitigating circumstances must be submitted prior to the assessment taking place. In exceptional circumstances, where it is not possible to inform us in advance, you should submit your Mitigating Circumstances application as soon as possible after deadline or scheduled examination, supported by a credible and compelling explanation of why your claim could not be submitted in advance.  

Please note, not informing the University of circumstances due to personal feelings, e.g., shame, embarrassment and pride, or having concerns over the confidential treatment of requests for mitigation, are not considered to be credible and compelling explanations as to why the circumstances could not be made known or shown by these deadlines. If the details of the mitigating circumstances are considered to be highly confidential, you can discuss with the wellbeing team shs.wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk the best way to submit an application. The committee handle all requests for mitigation with sensitivity and due regard for confidentiality. 

How mitigation is considered and applied 

Evidence for personal and medical mitigating circumstances is considered by a mitigating circumstances committee. It is this committee’s role to determine whether there is evidence of mitigating circumstances, whether those circumstances could have had an effect on your performance, and the likely impact. The committee will consider all submissions and, where there is evidence that circumstances have been serious enough to have an effect on one or more elements of assessment, the committee will make recommendations to the exam board.  

The exam board, at the recommendation of the mitigating circumstances committee, can take a limited number of actions to apply mitigation. In most cases, acceptance of the mitigation will involve revoking any late submission penalties or allowing for the missed or failed coursework/exam to be taken again as a first sit. 

A claim for mitigating circumstances may be turned down for several reasons: 

• The circumstances detailed by the student are not regarded as grounds for mitigation under the Policy on Mitigating Circumstances 
• The supporting evidence does not cover the relevant period 
• The supporting evidence is not supplied by an appropriate (independent) source 

• The supporting evidence is deemed insufficient to support the student’s claim of the seriousness of impact on their assessment performance 
• The wording of the evidence supplied does not support the student’s claim e.g. the material does not provide a medical diagnosis 
• No evidence is provided, and the student has not given any explanation as to the reasons why nor indicated when evidence could be available 
• The evidence relates to a chronic condition which the student is already in receipt of support from the Disability Advisory and Support Service (DASS). This does not include instances where the student has an acute flare up of a pre-existing condition which may be accepted if properly evidenced and confirmed by DASS 
• The deadline for submitting mitigating circumstances has been missed, without a credible and compelling reason 

• The claim relates to an ongoing condition or circumstance previously used to claim mitigation where the Panel, on the earlier occasion, instructed the student that this mitigation could not be used again and may have instructed the student to access support from the Disability Advisory and Support Service 

Interruptions and Withdrawals from Programme

Interruptions

If at any point in your studies you feel that you need to take some time away from your degree, you can interrupt your studies and return once you are ready. You need to be aware of the below implications when considering taking an interruption, so it is best to discuss any queries you may have with the Student Support and Wellbeing Team/Programme Director/Year Tutor/Academic Advisor. 

There are a few important things to think about when deciding to interrupt: 

• Primarily, your wellbeing. If an interruption is the best decision for you, it should benefit your present and future wellbeing and support you completing your degree to the best of your abilities. 
• Tuition Fees 
• Accommodation (if living in UoM halls)  

• Possible changes to course content on return  
• Tier 4 students MUST be referred to the Student Immigration Team in SSC to discuss consequences of interruption (3.2 Policy on Interruptions to UG and PGT Programmes of Study)  

If you then wish to request an interruption to study, either via email, during a welfare meeting, or following a meeting with an AA, you would need to complete an SHS Interruption Request Form, which can be obtained by contacting the Student Support and Wellbeing team on shs.wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk. It is helpful to know at this stage how long you expect to interrupt for and when you might return. 

You need to complete and sign the form, returning it back to the shs.wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk email address with any appropriate supporting evidence. The form will then be sent to the relevant member of academic staff for approval (this may be the Programme Director, Year Tutor or Academic Advisor). 

*Please note that students will be contacted by the Student Support and Wellbeing Team prior to their return to study/return from interruption* 

Withdrawals

If you decide that you are unable to continue your programme, you can withdraw from your studies. You will need to be aware of the below implications when considering withdrawing from the programme, so we would always advise discussing any queries you may have with the Student Support and Wellbeing Team/Programme Director/Year Tutor/Academic Advisor. 

• Tuition Fees  

• Accommodation (if living in UoM halls)  
• Future career prospects 

If you then wish to withdraw from the programme, either via email, during a welfare meeting, or following a meeting with an AA, you will need to complete a SHS Withdrawal Request Form, which can be obtained by contacting the Student Support and Wellbeing team on shs.wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk  

Students need to complete and sign the form, returning it back to the shs.wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk email address. No supporting evidence is required for a request to withdraw. The form will then be sent to the relevant member of academic staff for approval (this may be the Programme Director, Year Tutor or Academic Advisor)  

Once the Student Support and Wellbeing Team has received the form which has been approved by the relevant member of staff, a standard confirmation letter will be sent to you confirming the details of the withdrawal.  

External Examiners

The Role of the External Examiners

External Examiners are individuals from another institution or organisation who monitor the assessment processes of the University to ensure fairness and academic standards. They ensure that assessment and examination procedures have been fairly and properly implemented and that decisions have been made after appropriate deliberation. They also ensure that standards of awards and levels of student performance are at least comparable with those in equivalent higher education institutions.

External Examiners’ Reports

External Examiners’ reports relating to this programme will be shared with student representatives at the Staff Student Liaison Committee (SSLC)/programme committee/other appropriate forum (specify), where details of any actions carried out by the programme team/School in response to the External Examiners’ comments will be discussed. Students should contact their student representatives if they require any further information about External Examiners’ reports or the process for considering them.

External Examiner Details

The External Examiners for this Programme are:

Name: Aga Buckley
Institution: Kingston University London
Position: Senior Lecturer in the Department of Social Work and Social Care

Name: Kelly Alexander
Institution: University of Brighton
Position: Senior Lecturer in the School of Humanities and Social Science

Please note that it is inappropriate for students to make direct contact with External Examiners under any circumstances, in particular with regards to a student’s individual performance in assessments.  Other appropriate mechanisms are available for students, including the University’s appeals or complaints procedures and the UMSU Advice Centre. In cases where a student does contact an External Examiner directly, External Examiners have been requested not to respond to direct queries. Instead, External Examiners should report the matter to their School contact who will then contact the student to remind them of the other methods available for students. If students have any queries concerning this, they should contact their Programme Office (or equivalent).

STUDENT SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE

HOW WE WILL SUPPORT YOU

As a programme team we know that undertaking AMHP training can be a challenge and can be stressful at times.

We have developed skills and expertise specific to your training and so are happy to offer individual support for you to complete the programme not only competently but happily also.

We work to an open door policy be that the actual doors to our offices or our virtual doors, and we want you to be in touch with us when the need arises and we will respond as quickly as possible.

We will offer you a minimum of two tutorials for each semester, but please don’t feel you have to wait for scheduled meetings to be in touch. Email, phone, teams, zoom and of course face to face meetings are all options.

Study Days

It is recommended that students are given adequate study time and be offered appropriate supervision and guidance throughout the programme. Students are permitted 2 Study Days per unit, as per the Employment Support Form, signed by the student and their employer.

Student Support

Student Support and Wellbeing Team 

The Student Support and Wellbeing Team can support your wellbeing needs through the year. The team is here to support you when you wish to discuss circumstances such as interrupting your studies, financial issues, the submission of details of mitigating circumstances and any personal concerns that are affecting your ability to study and engage fully with your course. It is important to point out that Student Support is not a counselling service; it is a practical support service. 

Support from the University 

As a student at the University of Manchester, you have access to a huge range of support services and resources. This includes, but is not limited to, support relating to your studies, finances, health and wellbeing, settling in and making friends, personal safety and planning for your future beyond University.  

Students’ Union Advice Centre 

The Students’ Union has advisers who can help with any matter ranging from finances to housing and beyond. The Advice Centre is on the first floor in the Student Union Building, and is open Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 4.30pm, term time and vacation. See http://manchesterstudentsunion.com/. 

Support of care experienced and estranged students 

The University of Manchester recognises that care experienced students, and those that become estranged from their families often require additional support. This may take the form of, amongst other things, financial support, help with accommodation, provision of quiet study are as and general support. Please contact shs.wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk for further details on how to access support. 

Support for Students with Disability and Long-Term Health Problems 

If you have a disability, or have learning support needs, we advise that you register with the Disability Advisory and Support Service (DASS). They can offer a range of services to help you make the most of your University experience. Where appropriate, they will work with you to develop a support plan which will put in place any support you require for exams, from the library or from teaching staff. 

Registering with DASS is particularly important for students where ongoing or recurring difficulties may impact their academic performance. The University’s Policy on Mitigating Circumstances (see section 6) does not allow students to make repeated claims for the same condition, because to qualify for mitigation, the circumstance must be ‘unforeseeable’. However, the Mitigating Circumstances Committee can award further mitigation where DASS support your claim; for example, by advising the committee that your condition is associated with ‘flare-ups’ (which are unforeseeable). 

You find more information and how to register with DASS here: http://www.dass.manchester.ac.uk/ 

Support for International Students 

Manchester has a thriving International student community and you will have lots of opportunities to engage with students from all over the world. The International Society (http://www.internationalsociety.org.uk), based on Oxford Road, organises trips, events, activities and community projects which are open to both International and British students. The Language Centre also provides support to International students who have concerns about their English skills (http://www.languagecentre.manchester.ac.uk/). 

UoM Counselling Service 

The Counselling & Mental Health Service works in partnership with other support services within the university and are here to provide support for you should you feel you need help with your mental health. 

The Counselling & Mental Health Service offer a range of workshops, groups, 1-1 appointments and other resources to help you. For more information and to book an appointment click here: Get Help 

You can also phone for advice on 0161 275 2864 between 9.00am – 4.30pm (Monday – Friday). 

Student Support and Wellbeing Contact Details 

shs.mitcircs@manchester.ac.uk – for information and guidance on mitigating circumstances and extensions, including sending evidence and receiving outcomes of applications. 

shs.attendance@manchester.ac.uk – for queries related to attendance monitoring. 

shs.wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk – for support and signposting to university wellbeing resources, as well as making a wellbeing appointment with an advisor. 

shs.dc@manchester.ac.uk – for Disability Advisory and Support Service (DASS) enquiries. 

Occupational Health

Web: http://www.occhealth.manchester.ac.uk/

Email: waterlooocchealth@manchester.ac.uk

Tel: 0161 275 2858

On-going support for all students is provided by the Occupational Health Department. The aim of the service is to promote the health and wellbeing of all students and the prevention of illness and injuries at work. This is achieved by ensuring students are offered at commencement an initial health screening appointment where key health related information is provided and appropriate immunisation provided.

Careers Service

Web: http://www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/

Email: careers.info@manchester.ac.uk

Tel: 0161 275 2829

The Careers Service aims to improve the employability of students by providing them with key skills and knowledge. To help students formulate and implement well-informed choices about their careers they deliver and manage numerous services, projects, courses and events. The Careers Service work in partnership with colleagues across The University of Manchester and with organisations across the UK.

Student IT Support

IT Services Support Centre online
Details of what IT support is available and how to access it can be found on the FBMH eLearning Support page.
Login to the Support Centre online to log a request, book an appointment for an IT visit, or search the Knowledge Base.
Telephone: +44 (0)161 306 5544 (or extension 65544).  Telephone support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
In person:  Walk-up help and support is available at the Joule Library, Main Library or Alan Gilbert Learning Commons:
Use Support Centre online for support with eLearning, from where you may make a request or search the Knowledge Base.

For IT and eLearning support visit: https://elearning.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/student/technical-support/

Blackboard
Blackboard, the University’s ‘virtual learning environment’, will be used for online teaching.

What is Blackboard?
Blackboard is a web-based system that complements and builds upon traditional learning methods used at The University of Manchester. By using Blackboard you can:

• view course materials and learning resources,
• communicate with lectures and other students,
• collaborate in groups,
• get feedback
• submit assignments
• monitoring your own progress at a time and place of your own convenience.

Training in the use of software
The Faculty eLearning team have produced a short introduction to Blackboard for new students.  The recording is hosted in two places: the VLS and on YouTube:

• https://stream.manchester.ac.uk/Play.aspx?VideoId=30453
• https://youtu.be/47pA877MKJg

The recording is just over seven minutes long and covers most of the commonly used tools in Blackboard.

Academic Advisors

Each student is assigned an Academic Advisor at the beginning of their degree. This will be a member of the academic staff in your department who can offer support and advice on academic and pastoral matters, and are key to the School’s student support structure.

You will meet with your Academic Advisor during Welcome Week, and will then have one-to-one meetings throughout the semester to discuss academic progress, steps taken towards career planning, and professional and personal development.

Graduation

Due to submission deadlines of final works for the majority of students, records will be presented at the September / November Board of Examiners and students will be invited to join the December Graduation Ceremony in Manchester.

Graduation invitations will be sent direct from the Student Services Centre and registration will be via the online self-service portal on the StudentNet.

If you have any queries regarding graduation ceremonies or your certificate, please contact the Graduation Team in the Student Services Centre either via telephone 0161 2755000 or via email:  ssc@manchester.ac.uk, when contacting them you should quote your ID number, given above.

Further information can be found at the below link:

http://www.graduation.manchester.ac.uk/

Student Feedback

We aim to take feedback both formally and informally in a variety of ways to improve the student experience. We will discuss this more fully in induction.

Student Representatives

Each programme will choose a number of student representatives at the start of each academic year. You will be able to apply for this role, and will be informed of who is chosen so that you can feed back any issues or areas for improvement you may have identified within your programme.

The representatives are invited to the Staff Student Liaison Committee, where they can feedback anything which they have heard from their fellow students. The Programme Team then respond to these, and these responses and any action taken are fed back to staff and students via a newsletter.

National Student Survey

In the final year of any undergraduate programme, you will be invited to complete the National Student Survey (NSS). This independently administered survey asks for your feedback on your whole degree, as well as your broader University experience. The results are published to help prospective students make informed decisions about where and what to study. The NSS also provides us with useful data for benchmarking ourselves against other universities.

List of Policies

To follow are a list of some of the main policies, many of which are detailed throughout the handbook.

Basic Guide to Academic Appeals

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=23874

Academic Malpractice: Procedure for the Handling of Cases can be found at: http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=639

A-Z of Student Services

http://www.studentnet.manchester.ac.uk/crucial-guide/

Data Protection

http://www.manchester.ac.uk/privacy/

Equality and Diversity Policy

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=8361

Religious Observance

http://www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/academic/policy-on-religious-observance/

The Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health has produced guidance for healthcare students on fasting and caring: display.aspx (manchester.ac.uk)

Guidance for the Presentation of Taught Masters Dissertations

http://www.staffnet.manchester.ac.uk/tlso/policy-guidance/assessment/

Policy on Feedback to Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught Students

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=6518

Mitigating Circumstances: Guidance for Students

• http://www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/basic-guide-mitigating-circumstances/
• http://www.tlso.manchester.ac.uk/map/teachinglearningassessment/assessment/sectionc-reachingdecisionsfromassessment/mitigatingcircumstancesguidanceforstudents/

Policy on Mitigating Circumstances

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=4271

Guidance for students on plagiarism and other forms of academic malpractice can be found at:

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=2870

Basic Guide to Student Complaints

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=23875

Policy on Submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=24561

Work and attendance policy

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=1895

A full list of student services can also be found at: A-Z of Student Services

Please be aware that it is your responsibility to familiarise yourself with the academic policies, procedures and guidelines governing the University of Manchester’s postgraduate taught courses.

PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT

The Programme is managed and operated in accordance with the policies, regulations and procedures of the School of Health Sciences and of the University of Manchester.

The Programme Committee reports and responds to the Nursing and Social Work PGT Teaching and Learning Committee. The Consortium committee then feeds in to the School, Faculty and University committees. This academic reporting structure can be found in Appendix 2.

The Programme Management Committee meets once a semester and is comprised of stakeholder representatives.

The Programme Director is Anna Beddow and she has the day-to-day responsibility for the management and administration of the Programme. The Staff involved in the functioning of the Programme meet regularly for Staff Group meetings, and all staff and students are encouraged to contribute suggestions and comments at any time in the Programme.

The Programme Management Committee

The Programme Management Committee will be composed of the Programme Director, members of Academic Staff from the course and representatives of Health and Social Service agencies who are funding Students on the Programme. The Committee aims to have input from service users and carers and students. . The Programme Management Committee is responsible for:

• Overall management of the Programme
• Reviewing the Programme Structure, Curriculum Content, Professional Practice and Teaching Methods
• Monitoring, maintaining and enhancing standards of the Programme. Ensuring that the Programme is responsive to any changing internal or external requirements
• Maintaining effective partnership with employers in the organisation and delivery of the Programme
• Establishing and overseeing the Programme Examination Board.
• Receiving, considering and responding to feedback from: Students, External Examiners, Employers and Service Users and Carers
• Day-to-day management of Student affairs and contacts
• The External Examiner’s Report will be discussed at the Programme Management Committee. The Committee meets twice per annum, with extra meets as appropriate.

The Professional Practice (Agency Coordinators)

All funding agencies will be asked to nominate a member of staff with responsibility for Mental Health training to be a member of the coordinators group. This group is chaired by the Programme Director. Whilst each employing agency is responsible for the Professional Practice arrangements for their own students/employees, the coordinators group reviews common arrangements and concerns.

Standards and consistency between employers in Professional Practice placements

Ensuring that Employers understand and implement the requirements for Professional Practice.

The Coordinators group normally meets three times per annum.

Confidentiality of Students

For those students training as AMHPs, and who are seconded to this by their Agency and with their Agency practice support, there must be an open dialogue between University, Agency and Student. The dialogue must be transparent and issues of concern shared with all parties on a need to know basis.

ACADEMIC APPEALS, COMPLAINTS, CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINE

Academic Appeals

• For the most up to date information regarding appeals, students should refer to the University’s general support pages, since the pages are updated to reflect changes in policy and guidelines.
• Students have a right of appeal against a final decision of an Examination Board, or a progress committee, or a graduate committee or equivalent body which affects their academic status or progress in the University.
• Students thinking of appealing should first discuss the matter informally with an appropriate member of staff, in order to better understand the reason for the result or decision and to determine whether the matter can be resolved informally by the School prior to making a formal appeal.
• Should you wish to proceed to a formal appeal, this must be submitted within the timeframe outlined in the Academic Appeals Procedure to the Faculty Appeals and Complaints Team electronically by e-mail: FBMHappealsandcomplaints@manchester.ac.uk).
• The Academic Appeals Procedure (Regulation XIX) and associated documents, including the form on which formal appeals should be submitted, can be found at http://www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/academic/basic-guide-academic-appeals/

Student Complaints

• The University’s Student Complaints Procedure (Regulation XVIII) and associated documents, including a complaints form, can be found at www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/academic
• The University has separate procedures to address complaints of bullying, harassment, discrimination and/or victimisation – see https://www.reportandsupport.manchester.ac.uk/
• Students thinking of submitting a formal complaint should, in most instances, attempt informal resolution first (see the procedure). Formal complaints should be submitted on the relevant form to Faculty Appeals and Complaints Team electronically by e-mail: FBMHappealsandcomplaints@manchester.ac.uk).

Conduct and Discipline of Students

• General University information on the conduct and discipline of students can be found at  https://www.staffnet.manchester.ac.uk/tlso/academic-appeals-complaints-and-misconduct/conduct-and-discipline-of-students/
• Faculty policies for students on communication and dress code, social networking and drugs and alcohol can be found at:
  • http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=29038 (Communication and Dress Code)
  • http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=29039 (Drugs and Alcohol)
  • http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=29040 (Social Networking)
• Information on Academic Malpractice and how to avoid it can be found at http://www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/guidance-to-students-on-plagiarism-and-other-forms-of-academic-malpractice/
• In accordance with the Policy on Submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes, ‘All typed summative assessment, including dissertations, should be submitted online and subjected to plagiarism detection software, where appropriate’.

The University Library has produced online resources to help students in avoiding plagiarism and academic malpractice at:

https://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/training/my-learning-essentials/online-resources/

Fitness to Practice Committee

Students registered on a programme of study leading to a professional qualification may be referred to the Faculty’s Fitness to Practice Committee on either of the following grounds. Students registered on a programme of study, who already hold a professional body registration, may be referred to their own professional body Fitness to Practice Committee also on the following grounds.

• any conduct which may render that student a person not fit to be admitted to and practise that profession or calling; or
• any health problem which may render that student a person not fit to be admitted to and practise that profession or calling.

Information on Fitness to Practise related matters can be found at; www.tlso.manchester.ac.uk/appeals-complaints/fitnesstopractise

HEALTH AND SAFETY

• Students must always contact the Programme staff if they cannot attend because of illness and provide the necessary medical certification for absences. In cases of prolonged ill health, the Programme Director must be informed and the information may have to be given to other University Staff.
• All Students must familiarise themselves with the procedure for dealing with an emergency. It is important that the correct procedures are followed on hearing the fire alarm, i.e: use of the stairs and go to the recognised meeting point.
• If there is a concern about security, the Students must inform staff immediately, i.e: The Building Staff and the University Staff.
• Smoking is prohibited in all the University premises.

FACULTY RESOURCES

Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health Online Skills Training Resource

The Faculty has developed a skills training resource to support you through your postgraduate taught programme. This online material should supplement the assessed learning material and activities undertaken in your taught programme.

Accessing the online skills resource

You can access Blackboard through the My Manchester portal (http://my.manchester.ac.uk). The skills training resource is available in an academic community space available to all registered PGT students in the Faculty through Blackboard.

If you cannot see these units in your Blackboard please contact your Programme Administrator.

Content

Full details of all these resources can be found in the introduction to each unit. These resources have been designed to give you formative feedback on your progress through them. If you experience any problems and would like to talk to someone please contact your Programme Director. If you have questions about referencing and how it applies to your own work, please contact your Programme Director or dissertation supervisor/module lead.

Research Methods*	This course is spilt into 2 units that cover introductions to study design and dissertation skills. It has a number of online quizzes where you can test your knowledge.
Statistics*	The course provides a valuable foundation for understanding and interpreting biostatistics. It aims to provide you with the fundamentals of quantitative analysis.
Presentation Skills	This short interactive unit is designed to help you to enhance your presentation skills. Regardless of whether you are presenting in public, preparing for conferences, an oral examination or more informal settings this unit will give you the tops tips to improve your delivery.
Qualitative Research Methods*	This unit has been designed to give you an introduction to Qualitative Research.

* NOTE: the material in this online resource is for reference and formative learning purposes only. In some of your taught programme you may be required to undertake assessed course units for Research Methods, Qualitative Research or Statistics. If your programme involves taught units then you should refer to the Blackboard material relating to that course unit. Please contact your Programme Administrator if you are unsure which material relates to your assessed work. You will still be able to refer to the online skills resource in later years.

University Health and Safety Unit

As part of the University’s responsibility to help keep you safe and well during your studies, you will be asked to complete a short online health and safety course.

This short course provides you with basic information about how health and safety is managed on campus and also includes some simple tests to assess your learning outcomes. It will take you approximately one hour to complete.

You will be enrolled automatically on the Health and Safety course unit, which is delivered through Blackboard (the University e-learning system)

APPENDICES

Appendix 1 – Postgraduate Marking

The aim is to complete your marking within 15 working days. The marks are posted on TurnitinUK. However, the marks have to be ratified by an Academic Board. All assignments are marked once. All fails, those above 70% and all borderlines plus 10% of the rest are double marked.

Marking is anonymous

The External Examiner sees all fails, firsts, plus 10% of all the assignments marked.

BAND	MARKING CRITERIA
90%-100%	EXCELLENT (allows award of Distinction) Exceptional work, nearly or wholly faultless for that expected at Masters level.
80%-89%	EXCELLENT (allows award of Distinction) Work of excellent quality throughout.
70%-79%	EXCELLENT (allows award of Distinction) Work of very high to excellent quality showing originality, high accuracy, thorough understanding, critical appraisal, and very good presentation. Shows a wide and thorough understanding of the material studied and the relevant literature and the ability to apply the theory and methods learned to solve unfamiliar problems.
60%-69%	GOOD PASS Work of good to high quality showing evidence of understanding of a broad range of topics, good accuracy, good structure and presentation, and relevant conclusions. Shows a good knowledge of the material studied and the relevant literature and some ability to tackle unfamiliar problems.
50%-59%	PASS Work shows a clear grasp of relevant facts and issues and reveals an attempt to create a coherent whole. It comprises reasonably clear and attainable objectives, adequate reading and some originality.
40%-49%	FAIL , POTENTIALLY COMPENSATABLE Work shows a satisfactory understanding of the important programme material and basic knowledge of the relevant literature but with little or no originality and limited accuracy. Shows adequate presentation skills with clear but limited objectives, and does not always reach a conclusion.
30%-39%	FAIL, Work shows some understanding of the main elements of the programme material and some knowledge of the relevant literature. Shows a limited level of accuracy with little analysis of data or attempt to discuss its significance.
20%-29%	FAIL Little relevant material presented. Unclear or unsubstantiated arguments with very poor accuracy and understanding.
0-19%	CLEAR FAIL Work of very poor quality containing little or no relevant information.

Appendix 2 – Committee Structure Diagram

This programme is managed and operated in accordance with the policies, principles, regulations and procedure of the University of Manchester. The programme committee reports and responds to the Community Based Medicine Consortium and the Applied Mental Health Programme Director is a member of the Community Based Medicine Consortium. The Consortium committee then feeds in to the School, Faculty and University committees